1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an apparatus capable of cutting the inside corner of architectural molding so that the shape of a cut end is the complement of the molding profile. Specifically, the invention includes a base with a rotatable holder assembly, a rotatable cutter assembly for holding a cutting device, and a rotatable platform arranged in a substantially perpendicular fashion and capable of coping architectural molding with adjustments for backcut angles and/or imperfections associated with wall-to-wall, wall-to-floor, and wall-to-ceiling angles.
2. Background
Mitered inside corner joints are typically fabricated using a miter box or cutoff saw to cut a forty-five degree miter on each mating piece of an inside joint. The quality of such joints is problematic for several reasons. The inside corner between two walls are not always exactly ninety degrees. Fillets or bumps along one or both walls exacerbate the gap between mating pieces. The fastening of a molding to a wall often physically distorts the molding resulting in an unsightly gap at the joint. Caulk and putty are useful in hiding such gaps, but never truly replicate the appearance of precisely coped molding.
A precisely coped inside corner joint is made by cutting a straight end on a first molding and fastening it to a first wall with the straight end abutting a second wall. An end of a second molding is cut so that its shape complements the profile of the first molding. Thereafter, the second molding is fastened to the second wall so that the cut end abuts the profile of the first molding, thereby conforming to the profile thereof. Every professional or weekend carpenter can attest to how difficult and time consuming it is to cut the second molding so that its shape complements the profile of the first molding.
Many coped inside corners are manually cut. It is common practice to cut one end of a molding at a forty-five degree angle to form a guide. The intersection of the forty-five degree cut line and the profile along the molding accurately represents the complement of the molding profile and can be used as a guide for cutting the molding. The cut is made perpendicular to the wall surface or at a backcut angle along the guide line with a coping saw, jig saw, band saw, rotary cutter, router cutter, or circular saw, so as to remove extra material from the portion of molding facing the wall in order to form a tight joint at the visible portion of the joint.
A variety of coping devices are provided in the related arts. Several examples are discussed below to clarify the related arts and distinguish each from the present invention.
Tallerico, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,446, describes a coping tracing machine capable of duplicating on the end of a piece of molding, the surface contour of the molding. The device includes an adjustable holding means for a detached piece of molding, a band saw for cutting the molding piece transversely, means for holding a sample of the molding oriented substantially 90° from the piece, tracing means operatively connected to the saw for tracing the surface contour of the sample, and means for moving the tracing means and the saw together in sawing through the piece of molding. Reconfiguration of the device for left and right copes is complicated and time consuming. The detached piece of molding used as a guide is subject to wear and distortion.
Schafferkotter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,042, describes a device for cutting a segment of molding for angular mating with a second segment of molding. The device includes a table portion for holding a segment of molding, and a cutter guide portion for guiding a cutting mechanism. The cutter guide portion is mounted on the table portion and comprises a template oriented angularly with respect to the table portion. The template can receive a cutting mechanism extending through an opening in the template such that the cutting mechanism extends angularly with respect to a segment of molding held on the table portion. The opening is shaped such that a segment of molding held on the table portion is cut by tracing the opening with the cutting mechanism. Preparation of the template so that its profile complements the molding profile is difficult and time consuming.
Dickey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,279, describes a coping jig for making cuts for forming an inside corner for trim boards. The device includes a clamping plate having an integral backing plate along the length of one side and a central opening. Right and left work piece toggle clamps are operably coupled to the underside of the clamping plate on both sides of the opening. A clamping block is secured to the upper side of the clamping plate on each side of the opening. A flat router stage with an opening there through is mounted on the clamping blocks with the opening generally between the blocks. A die clamp is operably coupled to each block for holding a selected pattern between each die clamp and the associated block. The pattern is subject to wear and distortion after multiple cuts, and further, the device will not cut crown molding.
Welch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,036, describes a contoured molding cutting apparatus for cutting profiles on the angular end of contoured molding sections. The apparatus includes a manually-guided rotating cutter, a block, and a table allowing for fine, precision, longitudinal and transverse movements of a cutting member to impart angular cuts to the molding section. The cuts result in a profile corresponding to the molding contour enabling the cut work piece to interconnect in a smooth, flush-fitting corner joint. This manual device requires great skill to precisely follow the contour of the surface of the molding, and further, the device will not cut crown molding.
Scott et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,726, describes a coping device including a circular blade, a template having an end provided with a coped profile, a stylus which traces the coped profile of the template and which preferably has substantially the same width and radius of curvature as the blade, clamps for respectively securing the molding and the template in a fixed position, and a base having a stationary portion and a portion movable in two directions relative to the stationary portion. The clamps are coupled to the stationary portion, and the blade and stylus are both coupled to the movable portion. The blade and the stylus are substantially simultaneously movable relative to the clamps so that the molding can be coped with the blade as the stylus traverses the coped profile of the template. The blade and the stylus have the same width, and the stylus is provided with a leading edge having a radiused contour matching the blade. In addition, when coping a crown molding, the blade and the stylus are tiltable to the same angle. Fabrication of the guide molding is difficult and time consuming and the coped edge is subject to wear and distortion after multiple uses. Changing from right to left coped cuts is complicated and time consuming.
Weldman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,373, describes an apparatus for cutting baseboard molding to join two adjacent pieces in an inside corner. A plate support is adapted to carry the plate, and is in turn itself carried by a clamping apparatus of known type which typically combines features of a vise and a table. The baseboard molding to be cut is carried adjacent to the plate support within the clamping apparatus. Upper and lower angle boards may be used to support the baseboard molding to be cut at a slight angle from perpendicular to the blade making the cut, in a manner that allows a slight bevel to be made in the cut. A cutting device such as a router is then traced along the patterned cutting edge, thereby cutting off an end of a first piece of baseboard molding in a contour which corresponds to the face of a second piece of baseboard molding. The cut end is therefore adapted for contact with the face of an adjacent piece of baseboard molding oriented at right angles. The cutting device manually follows a template clamped in the device. The template is made by pouring fiberglass resin around a detached piece of molding to form a fiberglass template surface which is the complement of the molding profile. Fabrication of the template is complicated and time consuming, and further, the device will not cut crown molding.
Domask, U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,220, describes a coping jig for guiding a router in cutting the end of a section of decorative trim, preferably for creating an inside corner. The coping jig includes a stationary molding stage that receives a section of molding to be cut. A template platform is mounted above the molding stage by a plurality of resilient mounting members. The resilient mounting members allow the angle of the template platform to change relative to the molding stage. The template platform includes at least one template having a trim pattern formed on an edge surface of the template. The trim pattern is used to guide the router in cutting the molding positioned between the template and the molding stage. Manually coping a molding edge with the described device is difficult and time consuming, and further, the device will not cut crown molding.
Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,795, describes an apparatus for an attachment for a cut-out tool whereby the cut-out tool is used to cut an identical image of a molding prototype template into a work piece. The attachment is comprised of a base platform having means for mounting the prototype template and means for mounting and securing a work piece thereto. The attachment is further comprised of a movable platform having means for engaging the base platform and capable of linear movement relative to the base platform. Slidably attached to the movable platform is the saw mounting platform capable of transverse linear movement relative to the movable platform with a handle depending therefrom and a saw attachment means mounted thereon. Fabrication of cutting templates is difficult and time consuming.
As is readily apparent from the discussions above, the related arts do not provide a coping apparatus facilitating both precise and quick setup to cope the end of crown, chair rail, and baseboard moldings with proper adjustments for wall-to-wall, wall-to-floor, and wall-to-ceiling, and/or backcut angles.
Therefore, what is required is an apparatus which simplifies fabrication of precisely coped inside corners while facilitating proper adjustments for wall-to-wall, wall-to-floor, wall-to-ceiling, and/or backcut angles.
Furthermore, what is required is an apparatus which facilitates fabrication of precisely coped inside corners while avoiding the use of templates, disassembly of the apparatus, and handling of loose parts.